Clear coat compositions are used in industry to coat articles and provide a colorless protective and/or glossy layer. Where a color effect is desired, a separate layer including a pigment is commonly used. In some cases, powdered or nanopowder pigments are mixed into a coating material to provide a color effect, scratch resistance and/or UV-protection. However, production of nanopowders is complex. Additionally, exogenously produced nanopowders exhibit a tendency to agglomerate, forming larger particles and diminishing the advantageous properties of the nanoparticles. Previous approaches to incorporation of nanopowders into polymer formulations include chemical functionalization and dispersion of the exogenously produced nanoparticles into a polymer matrix, requiring further processing, as well as handling of materials by personnel responsible for particle generation and/or functionalization.
Thus, there is a continuing need for compositions and methods for forming a transparent coating layer to achieve desirable properties in the coating layer such as a desired color effect, scratch resistance and/or resistance to deleterious effects of UV light.